Stay with me
by ifellintoyourarms
Summary: When Phryne falls of the roof, Jack is left heartbroken
1. Chapter 1

„Phryne, Nooooo!'' Her hand slipped out of his and disappeared into the darkness.

Few moments later he heard a dreadful noise. Her body hitting the ground. And then silence. For a short while nothing happened. He heard the sound of her small body landing on the ground below ringing in his ears again and again. Nothing else. He couldn't make himself to move or breathe and the only thought on his mind was that she is dead, no miracle could bring her back from a fall like that, and this time it was his fault.

A sudden sound woke him up from his horror. A man (least expected suspect of their latest case) who made her fall off the roof took a shot at him, but missed by inches. Jack attacked him in seconds. He wasn't thinking. He just wanted the man who killed her to be put away. Murderer wasn't expecting such a foolish move from Detective Inspector Robinson, as Jack hit his face he trembled, fell on the ground and let go of her golden gun.

„Collins!" Jack shouted out in silence, the constable suddenly appeared from nowhere. „Cuff him!" he ordered and as soon as Collins took out his cuffs Jack started to run to stairs. He needed to see her, to be with her. As he run out of the building his hands were shaking, but when he saw here lying on the dirty ground in her white coat around her his heart stopped. This couldn't be true.

He ran at her still body and kneeled. Her eyes were closed peacefully - as if she was only sleeping, and a thin red line of blood was flowing out from her dark hair. The view crushed him.

„No" he whispered to himself. His shaking fingers found their way to her neck to check for pulse. When his fingertips met her still warm, soft skin his heart stopped once again.

He felt pulse. It was weak, but her heart was still beating. He was afraid to move her body from the ground – there may be some internal injuries and if he lifted her only by inch she could die in seconds.

He looked around trying to figure out what to do. There was no one on the street and Collins was still dealing with the murderer, obviously he will need to leave her alone while he will find a phone to call an ambulance, but how could he? She could slip away from his fingertips as she always did – only this time forever.

Jack remembered seeing a phone in a building on his way in. It will take him a minute, two at top to call an ambulance and run back, he thought to himself. That is a long time, but he had no choice.

When he returned to her body, she was still alive. Pulse was getting weaker by a beat, he almost couldn't feel it. Every second he spend waiting for an ambulance felt like small eternity and in every one of them Miss Phryne Fisher was slipping out of his hands and all he could do was silently watch.

„Please stay, Phryne" He begged to her silently and with every word that came out of his moth his heart broke into pieces. Nothing has ever hurted him like this. Not war, not seeing his friends die on the field, not Rosie leaving they're house. But this was hell, and Jack was burning.

Pulse was still there when ambulance arrived and they took her barely alive body away.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few hours were torture for him. While doctors did what they could to save her, Jack was sitting and waiting. He remembered her smile, glowing eyes and cloud of a French perfume which always followed her and left its mark to every place she has been. He couldn't bare a thought that all of that could be lost. Because of him, because he asked her to assist him on this murder case and because he didn't save her. Jack knew that Phryne trusted him as she has never trusted another man before and he let her down.

There was nothing left to do for him only pray to God that he saves her. Dot was sitting next to him silently crying in her prayer book and Collins came as soon as he could. Murderer was behind the bars, but knowing that did nothing for Jack – he felt almost like he was the one, who pushed her off the roof, and in a way, he was shure, he did.

Others were also there – Mister B., Cec and Burt and Aunt P. And Mac – every half an hour she went to check up on situation and every time she came back Jack hold his breath. Not knowing how she was doing was torture, but Jack was sure that knowledge of her death would make him loose his mind.

Hours went by and finally doctor came out. He looked tired, his face blank.

Jack jumped up, but he couldn't speak. His mouth stayed closed, it was too much for him to ask the question. He's hands were shaking once again, or maybe they were shaking all the time but he hadn't noticed.

„She will live," doctor finally spoke.

Jack closed his eyes and let the news flush over him. „She is alive. She is alive. She is alive." - Was the only thought in his head and he felt his body relaxing a bit.

„Miss Fisher will need a lot of rest and caring, she had serious internal injuries and broken bones but we fixed it all. She is is strong and healthy woman – it's a miracle she survived a fall like that, but she will be fine again." With that doctor left and nurse told them in which room they can find her.

After checking her Cec and Burt took home Aunt P. Dot didn't wanted to go, but Hugh persuaded her to go home and rest as Jack promised to stay by her side and call if anything happens.

Only when everyone were gone he dared to look at her properly. She was as pale as sheet she was laying on, her left hand casted, stitches on her forehead. Phryne looked almost surreal, no makeup, no smile, no perfume, no nothing. And he loved her like that even more – just as she was, he loved her because she was.

Jack put a chair next to her bad and sat on it. The horror of the moment she fell was still in his mind, he could swear the world stopped at that moment and if not whole world than his world most definitely.

He knew he will never forgive this to himself. Jack always thought that her adventurous spirit will bring her death, but it turned out to be him instead. The thoughts kept torturing him. To keep himself sane he took her right palm in his to feel her warmth, her blood rushing through her veins, her soft skin. Jack couldn't let it go, but now he knew that in order to save her he must go himself. But not now, he still had some hours before she wakes up, before he must go and with her delicate palm in his, he fell into sleep full of nightmares of Phryne lying in open casket, on very uncomfortable hospital's chair.


	3. Chapter 3

When Jack finally woke up from his horrid slumber, Phryne was still asleep.

For a while he just sat there and watched her. He has never seen Phryne so peaceful before, she was always running around and making him go crazy, and he would give world just to see her storm into his office this morning instead of lying into this hospital bed.

If only he wouldn't asked her to help... Never again – Jack knew that. He also knew that he loved her.

And loving her made it all so much harder.

He sat straight in his chair, took a deep breath and made a decision – he will go away. Forever. No matter what she will do or say, Jack will never see her again. Phryne liked to live dangerously and there was no way she could give that up, but in that moment Jack understood that part of this danger was He, and that can go away, he can go away.

Jack's heart was pounding; this was it – the end. It wasn't in his power to tell her this, he was too weak, too big of a coward for that – if Jack saw Phryne's eyes he would not be able to leave, so he ripped out a page from his note book and as a silly schoolboy decided to write her a note.

He sat there again watching her, pen in his hand, ready to write but words did not come to him. Jack simply couldn't explain himself – minutes passed by and words failed him. Suddenly pen felt heavy in his hand, like the forces of nature wouldn't want him to do this, but in that moment it felt like the right thing to do. Better she be alive without him than dead in his arms.

Jack took a deep breath and simply wrote „I can't do this anymore. Sorry for everything. JR"He then folded the paper, scribbled ''For Phryne'' and put it on the table next to her bed.

Jack looked at her for a few more minutes; it was impossible for him to just walk away, so he leaned to her and softly kissed her cheek. Then he stood up and quickly walked out of the room.

X

When Phryne wok up, there was Mac and Dot sitting next to her bed.

„Finally! We were starting to worry!" said Mac smiling. „How are you feeling?"

„Like somebody pushed me down of the building." Phryne responded with weak smile on her lips.

Mac inspected her and told that she will be just fine, only lot of rest will be needed. „Great!" Phryne responded with sarcasm in her voice.

„I will go and call others, everyone was worried sick, you know." And with that Mac left the room.

„Can I help you, Miss?"

Dots eyes were red from crying and she looked rather ill. „Oh, Dot, I will be fine, but you should go and get some rest!'' That wasn't all true – every inch of Phryne's body hurt and she hoped that Mac will be back soon to fix her with some pain medication, she also suspected that Dot was at her side all night.

„I will be quite all right now, Miss" Dot responded with smile on her face. „We were so worried, everyone was here yesterday evening, but Inspector Robinson made us leave, he was here all night, you know."

„Really?"

„Yes, Miss. He left this morning, but it seems that he has left a note for you." Dot handed Phryne the note, before she opened it Dot stood up and told Phryne that she will go and find some water.

After door shut, Phryne opened the note.

„Jack..." she whispered and the pain from her body suddenly felt like nothing compared to pain from her heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Three weeks later Phryne was sitting in her parlor. She was let out of hospital only this morning. Because of the medication she couldn't drink something stronger, but all she wanted was just that.

Her left hand was still in cast, ribs still hurt, but all the bruises were gone and from outside she looked dashing as always. Her heart though was in completely different state. She was hurt and mad and at this point she didn't know which feeling was stronger.

„I can't do this anymore" she repeated to herself for a thousand time. Obviously the idiot thought that somehow it was his fault that she fell, and now he „sacrificed" her for no good reason. Phryne was furious at him – how the hell could he do that to her? How can he imagine that this is any kind of salvation? After reading the note she almost fell apart, when Dot returned with that glass of water she pretended to be asleep just not to cry. No man has ever made her feel like that, and Phryne admitted to herself that...she has never loved any man before. Love.

She loved him.

After that morning every time someone knocked on her door, her heart jumped in hope that it was Jack, but it never was. From time to time Collins came to visit, he always told her that Inspector was working and sends her „best wishes", but from constable's face she gathered that only first part was true – Jack has buried himself in work, in order to forget of her existence.

„Bloody idiot" she cursed to herself.

„Pardon, Miss?"

She turned her head and saw Mr. B standing in the room.

„Nothing, nothing Mr. B" Phryne responded quietly.

„Dinner is ready, Miss"

She sat there quiet for a brief moment and that turned her head to Mr. B with a mischeveouse smile.

„If you could, Mr.B, please pack dinner to go and call Cec and Burt – I will be needing their assistance." No, she will not let Jack do this to her.

X

Last three weeks he was working way too much, now Jack was sitting in his office tired, but there still was a lot of paperwork to get through. He tried not to think about her, shut out every thought of her and when it got too unbearable he got drunk. That's what the least three weeks has been for him, dreamless sleep, bottles of whisky and work.

Collins knocked on the door „If you won't be needing anything Sir, I will go now."

„Yes, good evening Collins" needless to say that constable was worried about Jack, but he and Dottie realized that it's maybe better not to get involved in situation for a while, after all Jack and Phryne were two very smart adults who could handle their relationships by themselves.

Jack was alone at the station; he hoped that dealing with paperwork will get him so tired that when he comes home only sleep will be on his mind.

Suddenly the door to his office swung open. Jacks heart started to run faster, he hoped that this moment wouldn't happen, but knowing Phryne he was sure it will. And here she was in her right hand holding basket, smiling all over her face, looking dashing as ever.

„Good evening, Jack Robinson! You are rather ill mannered man!"

And with that she put a basket on his table and sat in front of him.


End file.
